Piloting system for aircraft



May 18, 1943 F. AMloT PILOTING SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Aug. 5, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet'Z Inventor: I'lm Amant,

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May 18, 1943 FQ AMloT PILOTING SYSTEM FOR AIHCRAAF'IV Filed Aug` 5, 1.959 3 Sheets-Sheet' Patented May 18, 1943 PILofrING SYSTEM FORAIRCRAFT .Flix Amiot, euilly-sur-Seine, France., vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application August 5, 1939, SerialNo. 288,679

In France January 9. .1939

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to piloting sys tems of the kind used in aircraft, that is to say systems intended to enable the pilot to control pitching, .rol-ling, and yawing.

The chief object ofthe present invention 4is to provide a system of this `kind whichis easier to Y-t and easier to `operate than 'the systems used for the same purpose up tothis time.

According to an essential feature :of the present invention, the controls, and especiallyfthe controls Aleading to the operating links, are grouped to a common block, combined 'with 'the supporting frame of the system in .such manner that Ait can be mounted in a -removable Amanner thereon, said supporting `frame being, .for instance, provided for this purpose with apertures in which the bearings of said block can be engaged and tted.

According toanother Afeature ofthe present invention, Ain a block .of .the type above mentioned, the .rudderpedals are adapted to actrespectively on two lconcentric shafts.

According to still another feature. of the invention, in a system of the type labove described, the pivoting spindle or swivel of the control vcolumn or stick is arranged in a forward position, for in-v stance substantially over1 the axis about which the rudder pedals turn.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the system includes, between the supporting frame above mentioned and the body of the airplane, at least one output shaft and this last mentioned-shaft is provided at least at one of its ends with a swivel bearing.

Other features of the .present invention will result from the `following detailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the .present invention Will be hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a control system for an-airplane, made according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

`Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section corresponding Vto thepreceding figures;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV of Fig. l.

According to the invention, the controls, and especially the controls leading to the links which transmit the piloting displacements to the control surfaces, such as the movable tail elements and the ailerons are grouped into a single block which can be mounted as a whole, in a removable .mannen on the :supporting frame of said system.

At the present time, the arrangements in use, which are rather complicated, :compel the constructorto finish the control system above .referred to at the same time as the airplane structure, andtherefore before the various accessories which are to be provided inside the cabin or cockpit have themselves been mounted, .since the fitting of these accessories takes place at the end of the construction, when the engine has been mounted. It follows that this fitting of the accessories is very dimcult because .the ypresence of the piloting system inside the cabin leaves little room vfor work.

The arrangement according to the invention, as `above set forth permits, among other advantages, the :mounting of the piloting system substantially at the end of the assembly sothat, for the fitting of the accessories in question, the presence of said piloting system does not interfere with the work to be performed.

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated by the drawings, use'agroup of three concentric shafts P, G, D, corresponding respectively to the controlof pitching, rolling .and yaw ing, and at the ends of which are fixed, levers p, g, dto which can be connected the operating .link systems leading to the control surfaces.

Preferably, the apparatus is arranged in such manner that this block of three shafts, with a part of the kinematic connections, can itself be mounted as a removable unit on the frame which supports the control-column or stick and the rudder .pedals or bar.

For this purpose, for instance, frame l, -on which the control column -2 is lpivotally mounted, is opened at the bottom and provided with notches such as indicated by the reference numerals 3 which permit introducing thereinto fixing bearings 4 (Fig. 2), preferably ball bearings, for supporting the shaft or shafts P, G, D.

The bearing 4 located on the left hand side in Fig. -2 supports the end of the inner shaft P, while `the bearing 4 on the right hand side supports the outer shaft.

The iixationof the bearings l are secured to .the frame I by means of bolts 5 or any other means.

Another support for the shafts is indicated at 6, on the body of the airplane, cooperating with another bearing 1, preferably made as it will be hereinafter explained.

The three shafts are held in coaxial relation to one another intermediate bearings 8. The

elements of the ball cages, and, in a general manner, all other elements coacting with said shafts, can be fixed thereon by means of rivets, as illustrated, by welding, or in any other way.

The kinematic connections for transmitting the movements to shafts P, G, D, are made as follows:

Concerning first the,pitching control, I use, for instance, a coupling rod 9, pivoted at one end to an arm I rigid with column 2, and at the other end to an arm II rigid with the pitching control shaft P. The column 2 is pivotally supported on spindles I3 as shown in Fig. 2.

The rolling control means comprises a wheel I2 mounted on column 2, the connection between wheel I2 and shaft G being eifected by chain I4 all cases, and, furthermore any abnormal stress on block P, G, D is avoided.

The device according to the invention has, among others, the following advantages:

a. It permits a quick tting of the piloting system, when the accessories have already been tted on the inside of the cockpit or cabin.

b. It can easily be taken to pieces.

c. It is well adapted to quantity production.

d. It facilitates piloting.

It is to be understood that the term manually operable means includes foot operated elements.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosedwhat I deem to be practical and eihcient embodiments of the present inwhich is caused to pass around pinions I5. It

is preferred that the chain pass through axis of spindle I3. toothed sectors I6 carried by pieces I1, I 8 (Fig. 2), which are rigid with shaft G. .The rudder control, according to the invention, is arranged in such manner that the pedals can control two concentric shafts which form, with respect to frame I, a removable block..

These two shafts I9, (Fig. 4) are mounted on ball bearings and tted with arms 2I, 22. Connecting rods 25, 26 vare interposed between said arms and corresponding arms 23, 24 rigid with shaft D. L. Finally, the rudder pedals 21 have theirarms 28 removably mounted on the ends of said shafts While other arrangements may be made, it is preferred that the block P, G, D be arranged so that it extends toward the rear, close to .the seat 29 of the pilot, in such manner as to reduce to the minimum the length of the link transmissions leading to arm p, g, d from the control surfaces.

Furthermore, according to another feature of the invention, the axis of articulation of Athe control column or stick will be located in a relatively forward position, so as to leave clear space for feet andv legs of the pilot. y

The ends of chain I 4 mesh with Thismay involve, for the column or stick,in

its normal position, a certain inclination, which is not at all disturbing. Of course, if itfwere necessary to compensate for the torque, with respect to axis I3, resulting from this inclination, any means might be used for this purpose. As a rule, this compensation Will be made in the transmissions between the control column or stick and the control surfaces.

Frame I may be completed by foot restsV 30, located at the level of a cover 3| which, when unscrewed allows access to the inside of the box. According to still another feature of the invention, means are provided for compensating, when mounting the parts or even in fiight, differenoes of level between the bearings carried by support I and the bearings I carried by the airplane body.

For this purpose, these means include a swivelling mounting of one of the ends of block P, G, D. Onv the drawings (Fig. 2) bearing 'I is swivelled to the airplane body.

In this way, the mounting is made possible in vention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle'of the present invention as comprehended Within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In an aircraft having a fuselage, three separately movable control surfaces mounted thereon, a support member, means mounting said support member in said fuselage and a plurality of manual control means corresponding, respectively, with said control surfaces movably mounted on said support member, unitary transmission means including three separately movable, co. axial shafts journalled in one another, means mounting said unitary transmission means on said support member, means operably connecting eachof said shafts with one of said control surface means andthe corresponding manual control means, two of said manual controlmeans comprising pedals, the means connecting the last named means with one of said shafts comprising a pair of coaxial, separately movable shafts, means rotatably mounting said shafts on said support member, and link and lever means connecting the members of said pair of coaxial shafts with one of the three coaxial shafts, and means connecting each of said two coaxial shafts, respectively, with said pedals, the arrangement being.. such that when one of said pedals is moved in one direction, said one coaxial shaft is rotated clockwise and when the other of said .pedals is pushed in said one direction, the last-mentioned coaxial shaft is rotated counterclockwise.

2. In an aircraft having a fuselage, three separately movable control surfaces mounted thereon, a support member, means mounting said support member in said fuselage and a plurality of manual control means corresponding, respectively, with said control surfaces movably mounted on said support member, unitary transmission means including three separately movable, coaxial shafts journalled in one another, means mounting said unitary transmission means on said support member, means operably connecting each of said shafts with one of said control surface means and the corresponding manual control means, and swivel means mounting one end of said transmission means on said fuselage.

FLIX AMIo'r.V 

